Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
LUPANE Local Board which manages Lupane town in Matabeleland North has started constructing a US$300 000 civic centre which it projects will completed at the end of next year.
Plans to construct the facility were made in 2018 but the local authority could not immediately start the project because of lack of funding among other challenges.
The Local Board is using funds from its various revenue sources such as timber logging and help from private partners to construct the 16-offices civic centre.
Lupane town is generally lagging behind in terms of development when compared to other provincial capitals countrywide.
The civic centre will have two conference rooms, a boardroom and offices for heads of departments and key staff.
LLB chairperson Councillor Monica Ngwenya said construction had started.
“We have started constructing the civic centre. Initially our aim was to have completed the slab by the end of this year. With funds permitting, our hope is to complete the structure or at least raise it to roof level at the end of next year,” she said.
Cllr Ngwenya said once completed, the civic centre will generate revenue for the Local Board as the conference rooms will be hired out for meetings.
She could not be drawn into revealing the development partners the local authority is working with.
The Matabeleland North provincial capital has also set aside land for development of a shopping mall, hotel and conference centre and some lodges as it gears itself for growth.
Cllr Ngwenya said the Local Board received $3, 884 million Devolution Funds this year which it is using to develop sewer infrastructure.
“We have other projects that we want to develop using Devolution Funds. We have been working on our sewer infrastructure because we cannot develop without proper sewer system. After that we need to have a master plan which will lure investors and show them our roadmap. We have set aside land for shopping malls, hotel and conference centre and lodges that we wish to develop as a council,” added Cllr Ngwenya.
The council has also been working on street lighting, refurbishing roads and constructing storm drains among other projects using Devolution Funds.
It has installed solar powered street lights to a section of the main road which branches from the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls past the business centre to the District Development Coordinator’s offices. -@ncubeleon
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